Now playing at the Rose Garden

May 25, 2004|By REDEYE NEWS SERVICES. and ---------- and Edited by the Sports staff of RedEye.

Like any sitting U.S. president, President Bush has seen a parade of championship sports teams roll through the White House.

With some likely thanks to White House speechwriters and a knowing nod to the late inventor of the laugh track, here are the greatest hits from Bush's recent meet-and-greet sessions with pro and college champs.

- For the WNBA champions Detroit Shock on Monday, Bush took a shot at Shock coach Bill Laimbeer, who was once a tough guy for the Detroit Pistons.

President Bush said, "It's good to welcome the coach. I don't know if 20 years ago they would have thought of you as a coach."

Laimbeer replied, "I know, I know."

- The New England Patriots arrived May 10 for a ceremony with Bush, who noted the team went a perfect 10-0 at Gillette Stadium.

"You never lost a home game," Bush said. "That's really good marketing."

- UConn sent their men's and women's national championship hoops teams to Washington, D.C, and the President pointed out, "Maybe now is the moment that I should admit that I was born in Connecticut."

- Minnesota's national champ women's hockey team went to the White House, which was the team's goal all season long.

"I was pleased to know that the University of Minnesota women's hockey team's slogan this year was 'Get it done, and meet George,' " Bush said.

- When the World Series-winning Florida Marlins showed up, Bush recalled how Ivan Rodriguez predicted the Marlins would win. "You're so good about predicting victories," Bush said. "Do you have any suggestions for, like, '04?"

- When USC and LSU each attended, Bush noted that USC had a player named Reggie Bush and added, "His teammates call him 'the President.' 'President Bush.' You must feel pretty comfortable here at the White House, 'President Bush.' "

- Bush had some fun with the University of Denver's men's hockey champions' Lukas Dora, a native of the Czech Republic.

"They tell me he talks a lot on the ice," Bush said. "He's a talkative guy. But he uses unique English to confuse the opponents. Kind of sounds like the strategy I use at the press conferences."